When you meet Dr. Jill, you will immediately
sense her compassion and genuine desire to help people find answers and give
them hope that they can feel healthy again.
What you may not know is that her own journey through life-threatening
illness was a powerful force in shaping her passion for teaching people how to
heal through functional medicine. Read
her story here…
My Story
Since my
childhood, I have always been passionate about seeking answers to complex
problems. I believed that the human body could
regain health given the right tools.
However, it wasn’t until June of 2001 that I had very personal encounter
with my own mortality. It was then I had put this belief into action...
Sudden Turn of Events … from Doctor to Patient
During my 3rd year of training in medicine at Loyola
University in Chicago, I found an unusual lump in my left breast and with
my husband’s insistence; I proceeded to schedule an ultrasound and biopsy. Although I scheduled the tests, I was not too concerned that this lump might signify something more serious. A few days later however, my worst nightmare
was confirmed with a call from the surgeon.
She said yes, despite all of the statistics against it at the age of
twenty-five years old, I had invasive ductal carcinoma (i.e. breast
cancer). I was devastated! This sudden news sent my very orderly world
spinning as I began to process what the next 12 months would hold… several more
surgeries, six rounds of aggressive chemotherapy followed by many weeks of
radiation, ugh! I literally went from
doctor to patient overnight. The rest
of that year was a blur as I took a leave of absence from medical school to
complete this harsh treatment regimen. During
this time, an important part of my plan included nutritional supplementation, daily
exercise and prayers for healing. By the
summer of 2002, I had officially “beaten” the cancer but nearly destroyed my
body in the process. Completely bald,
malnourished, and down to my lowest weight since fourteen, I was physically
depleted but mentally and emotionally still in the game.
From Surviving to Thriving…
At this point, although I had just beaten cancer, I was determined to go
further. My desire was to go from surviving
to a place of thriving… full of energy and life! My unwavering faith in God and my passion for
nutrition became instrumental in turning my health around. The battle against an aggressive deadly
breast cancer was only the beginning of my journey. Six months after completing therapy and
returning to medical school, I was once again diagnosed with a very serious
medical condition.
Round Two: a Second Diagnosis…
The following year I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a very painful
autoimmune disease, in which the body’s own immune system attacks the
gastrointestinal lining, causing nutrient depletion, cyclical fevers, fatigue,
weakness and ongoing abdominal pain.
Undoubtedly connected to the toxic effect of chemotherapy on my gut lining, I was determined
to beat this new threat as well. In the beginning, my gastroenterologist told me
point blank, “Diet has nothing to do with
this.” He also gave me the prognosis
that I would need multiple surgeries over my lifetime and would never be
completely cured. I was given powerful medications to calm the inflammation, but
they did nothing for my symptoms. I was
told that I would require steroids and immune-suppressing medications to control
the disease. Refusing to believe that
surgery and medications were the only options, I studied extensively on the
healing power of nutritious food and dietary changes. I
began by making major changes in my own diet, eliminating gluten, dairy, and all
processed foods and eating nutrient dense options instead. I also consulted with a wise naturopath who
taught me the power of appropriate nutritional supplementation in restoring
health and energy and healing the inflammation in my gut.
Back to Optimal Health!
“This sickness will not lead to death... It is for the glory of God” John 11:4
Now over twelve years later, after relentless pursuit of personal
healing I am currently in the best health of my life, completely free of breast
cancer and healed from Crohn’s disease! I continue to eat an organic, whole food,
gluten-free Paleo-style diet, exercise regularly, and practice my faith through
prayer and meditation. It is evident that God healed my body expressly for the
purpose of helping others and thus, I am committed to helping people find
answers and live vibrantly through functional medicine. More than
ever before, I believe that the human body
can regain health if given the right tools… and I am living proof!
